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Monday, July 13, 2015

A DAY after 1992 batch UP cadre IPS officer Amitabh Thakur filed a police complaint against Mulayam Singh Yadav for allegedly threatening him over the phone, an FIR was lodged against him on a rape charge. The police officer on Sunday reacted to it by saying that the rape case lodged against him was the ‘return gift’ from the Samajwadi Party chief. BoI here presents 10 facts about this activist cop who moved court against existence of a separate IPS Association, approached CAT against Rule 7 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules 1968, made allegation about a “cane scam” in UP Police, planned to write a book on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and wanted a regulatory body to monitor the God Men:1. Thakur approached Allahabad High Court in 2013 arguing that there was a need for creating a Unified Police Association in UP where there would be no distinction between IPS and their subordinate police officers. “Today the need is not to think in partisan manner to create artificial divisions in the police monolith but to think of the police as a single entity”, he argued in his plea. The High Court directed that if the petitioner has any grievances against the Uttar Pradesh IPS Association, he may approach authorities concerned for appropriate action in accordance with law.2. In May 2014, Thakur approached the Central Administrative Tribunal’s Lucknow Bench to file a case against the existence of Rule 7 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules 1968, titled “Criticism of Government”. He argued that the rule is against the right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under section 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India. As a member of the Indian Police Service and hence a member of the All India Services, he said, he was personally affected by these rules and was hence an affected party. DoPT secretary was the respondent in the case.3. Thakur moved Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court against UP government’s introduction of five-day working scheme on 30 October 2004 which he said was discriminatory in nature. The IPS officer argued that the measure was limited only to Head of Department (HOD) offices and not to district offices, thereby denying the same facility to Commandant PAC and SP offices where the work continued for six days a week. The petition said that since the scheme was meant for “healthy work culture in administration, working efficiency and better productivity”, 5 days week scheme must not be denied to anyone.4. Thakur also made public what he called the “cane scam” in UP Police. He alleged that there was large-scale corruption in purchase of body protector, polycarbonate cane and polycarbonate shield in 2010. He talked about profiteering by private firms in supplying canes.5. Thakur filed a writ petition in Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court in March 2014 against the existence of Section 33(7) of the Representation of Peoples Act 1951 that permits a person to contest from two places for the House of the People, the Council of States, the Legislative Assembly of the states and the legislative councils of states. (PM Narendra Modi himself fought from two seats in 2014 General Elections)6. The IPS officer in September 2014 filed a writ petition in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court praying for formation of national and state level Men’s Commission to look after specific men related problems. The petitioner said that it cannot be disagreed that women have more difficult position vis-à-vis men. But at the same time, as the petition argued, there are instances of empowered women misusing their superior position, and sometime women-centric laws are used against men.7. Thakur and his activist wife Nutan Thakur wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister (dated June 13, 2013) appealing for formation of regulatory/controlling/professional bodies to monitor astrologers, God-men, religious preachers etc. They made the letter public.8. In June 2014, Thakur posted a personal blog saying he was planning to write a book on Arvind Kejriwal -- the man, his personality, his making, his truth, the myths and the realities and the lives and times surrounding him. He asked people to give him necessary inputs. (NB: Like Kejriwal, Thakur is an IIT product and both were contemporaries)9. He also made a survey using Facebook, LinkedIn and emails. The question was “Whenever you hear the word ‘police’ what feeling first comes into your mind?”. Thakur made public the names of the respondents and their responses. One respondent wrote: “Dear Amitabh, The first thing which comes is "fear" ..., And the next which comes up is them being "corrupt", so " unnecessary harassment”.10. There is no doubt that Thakur is extremely unpopular among his own IPS colleagues. But he feels his colleagues in the uniform would one day follow his path. Once he blogged:A time shall come, when you shall think like me,the distances presently seen,shall get eroded all by itself

3 comments:

Serving officers esp of the AIS should be role models and focused only on official duty and public service. Cannot stretch the limits of service decorum, cannot behave like free lance self proclaimed activists and should throw away the uniform with the job and join the political or activist arena. We call such behavior as violation of service code of conduct and " conduct unbecoming of a civil servant". Best is to resign and take the political calling.They cannot hide behind the uniform, the uniform that gives them identity and power also demands a high standard of OFFICER -LIKE conduct. Cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hound. No way.

While we admire forceful and fearless fight for justice, we hold Aruna Roy, Harsh Mander and the like who left the service to enter the arena of political activism as our true heroes. Thakur's fight is also "political" as it is for the public good but you cannot have the cake and eat it too. Those who think that they can wage a war from within are trying to destroy the very system they serve. The idiot who was caught cutting the very branch of the tree he had climbed. If everyone breaks the rules and codes of conduct esp in the uniformed service like IPS, there shall be chaos. In any case cases of trigger happy lawless cops are far too many and some have even shot their own bosses. Indiscipline and effrontery cannot be allowed in the AIS services. They are the role models for the state and subordinate services. Thakur has to come out with credentials of over 20 years of service and start afresh in the political space which has many options like the media, civil activism and even party politics. Many political parties will welcome him in the run up to the UP polls. Kejriwal is another good example of a public servant turning into a political persona. Thakur needs a new avatar. The picture of a defiant or errant policeman is quite stale and insipid.Even bollywood has grown tired of such a plot.

Someone, someday has to break the glass house.Takes great courage to come out with such defiance - for all the right and wrong reasons. In a bureaucracy that still believe in "passing the buck" and hiding behind the veil of anonymity, someone is daunting the system. This story is still unfolding and the motives and machinations will soon emerge - Will the golden rule of bureaucracy be proved right - "Those in glass houses should not throw stones". Or will the glass ceiling be broken ??? Let's watch and see. Has the Mr Right finally emerged ? Who will bell the cat? The change and the churning in this archaic system of governance has started. Time for civil service reform has come. But as the drama unfolds on TV debates and your website, the Story Rocks.

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